


Fantastic Book Titles and Where To Find Them

by amandasarmada



Series: Newt and Tina (Headcanon Ficverse) [1]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Missing Scene, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-06
Updated: 2017-04-06
Packaged: 2018-10-15 09:48:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10554260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amandasarmada/pseuds/amandasarmada
Summary: A missing scene between Newt and Tina, inspired by their conversation at the docks.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A missing scene that got TOTALLY out of hand, sorry. This takes place a couple of days after the events in the subway - according to the screenplay, there's a week between when all that goes down, and when Newt leaves New York. I imagined that Newt actually suffered some injuries from Grindelwald's assault (poor baby), and was recovering at the Goldsteins'. Anyway - something akin to this conversation popped into my head the very first time I saw the movie, and it just wouldn't go away, so I thought I might as well finally spit it out. The result is the headcanon that lies before you. xoxox

A mix of artificial sunlight and assorted lanterns peeked palely through the cluttered workspace of Newt Scamander's study, casting shadows over the currently engrossed magizoologist. It was unusually quiet in the case, still early enough for the regular scurryings of his creatures to be fairly subdued. Newt sat, as per his custom, hunched over a mess of parchment, trying to salvage some sense out of them. It might have been a day like any other, were it not for the mild ache still wreaking through his body, or the faint lingering smell of floral perfume and baby powder, declaring the Goldstein sisters' earlier presence.

He was startled out of his thoughts by a still unfamiliar tapping noise, and it took him a moment to realize someone was knocking on his case. Newt stood, abandoning his quill to the table.

He pulled himself up the ladder with ease, ignoring his protesting muscles, finally popping his head out of the case curiously to look around.

“Hi.” Her voice was scarcely more than a whisper.

Tina's face hovered mere inches away, looking earnest and fresh-faced in the morning light as she graced him with a shy smile. Newt froze, taking a moment to catch his breath. “Er – hello,” he said cheerfully, managing a wide-eyed smile in return.

“I didn't mean for you to have to come all the way up,” she said apologetically, a crease appearing in her brow. “I just thought-”

He flushed, realizing he'd been expected to simply call back to her, his stomach squirming at his own awkwardness. Their gazes met for a moment, Tina's expression eager and hopeful. She really was sitting awfully close to him. He looked away, smiling beguilingly. “Oh. Well, I didn't want you to have to call down, you see-” he explained, his cheeks still ruddy as he glanced back at her.

“Right,” she smiled tentatively, meeting his eyes. Tina bit her lip.

Newt gazed back at her, hesitating for a moment before he spoke. “Would you like to-?”

Tina leaned forward, her eyes lighting up. “Do you mind?”

He beckoned to her. “Not at all. Please.”

They climbed down in companionable silence, Newt reaching the bottom first, wiping his hands on his trouser legs as he made his way back over to his desk. Tina hovered near the ladder as he took his seat, turning to look back at her with interest.

She was already fully dressed for the day, smartly adorned in loose trousers and a neat blazer, which hung smoothly over her cotton blouse. Her hair fell in soft curls around her face, the yellow light of the shed giving the impression that there were streaks of auburn in it. She was quiet, watching him, a nervous smile on her face. He watched in silence as a steaming cup floated down to rest in her hands.

“You're up rather early,” he commented finally, meeting her gaze for a split-second.

“I know, I hope I didn't wake you -”

“Oh no, I've been up for hours,” he assured her, flashing her a smile. “I'm the early bird type, I'm afraid. Used to drive my housemates mad.”

“Me too.” She smiled demurely. “Are you hungry?” she added nervously, watching him intently. “Breakfast might be awhile, it usually takes Queenie a good hour to drag herself out of the bathroom in the mornings, but I can get you a bagel or put together some toast if you like-”

“Oh no, I'm fine, thank you. And there's really no need for a fuss, I can make something myself if I get hungry-”

Tina gave him a weary smile, shrugging her shoulders. “She likes mothering people. You'd be doing her a favor. The both of us, really.”

Newt paused. “Well – alright then,” he said carefully. “I suppose, if it could help her feel better-” he stopped, meeting her expression tentatively, which had fallen just a little.

“I think it would,” she said sincerely, offering him a small smile. She paused, biting her lip again. “Do you prefer pancakes or french toast?”

“Er – anything's fine, really,” he said, flustered.

“Okay. I'll tell her.” She paused, her eyes darting between him and the rest of the shed. “Oh - I brought you some tea,” she added hesitantly, gifting him with a hopeful smile. He glanced at her in slight surprise, their eyes meeting for a long moment, during which he felt his stomach gave a pleasant sort of lurch.

“Thank you,” he said abruptly, his timing always slightly off, as he focused his smile somewhere in the general direction of her left ear.

“Queenie thought you might be craving a bit of home,” she explained.

“Almost _bizarrely_ insightful, that sister of yours,” he said dryly, and the corners of her lips twitched as he glanced at her again. “...How is she doing?” he added quietly, his gaze growing more intense.

The lines of Tina's mouth tightened. His own expression was sympathetic, contemplating her wordless sigh. “I'm really not sure,” she said after a moment. “I can't say she's not hurting,” she admitted, her knuckles whitening as she gripped the cup. “But - she's tougher than she looks,” she said finally, and Newt smiled slightly as he accepted the tea.

“Did I do it okay?” she added worriedly, watching him carefully as he took a sip. “I've never actually tried making tea before-”

It was dreadful, though not as bad as he'd expected, and he managed a reassuring smile as he set the mug on the table in front of him. It made little difference anyway, he conceded good-naturedly; the lingering taste of healing potions that MACUSA had arranged for his aching and inflamed muscles, and which was still resting bitterly in his mouth from that morning's round of treatment, meant he'd be scarcely able to appreciate the difference between lukewarm flavored water and his mother's own best tea for some time yet.

“It's excellent. Thank you,” he said sincerely, managing to meet her eyes again before shifting his gaze quickly away.

“You know, you're supposed to be _resting_ ,” she pointed out, her voice gently chastising as she gestured to the papers spread before him. “For that matter, you should probably be in bed.”

“Quite right. Can't seem to help myself,” he said sheepishly, following her gaze.

Her voice was soft, the trace of anxiety peeking through the earnestness of her expression. “I guess I can't lecture you too much. I've been guilty of the same thing, whenever I get hurt.”

“To be perfectly honest, I think it actually might help a bit,” he said offhand, glancing up at her with a weak smile. “Keeps my mind off more - _corporeal_ matters.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” she said more assertively, nodding slowly. “That was kind of my fallback, growing up. The worse things got, the more I would throw myself into school. It's comforting.”

He smiled again, more gently this time, before letting his gaze drop back to the mess of papers scattered before him, his hands twitching for a moment in his lap.

“So –,” she said suddenly, and he glanced up, seeing her slip her blazer off as she rested against the desk. “ _Seeing_ as how I'm - nursing you back to health, and putting you _up_ and all that -” she continued, smirking slightly now. “Do I get the benefit of a sneak peek?”

Newt started, confused for a moment, as he watched her hand trace over a loose piece of parchment on the table.

“Your book, Newt,” she said gently, after the silence between them had stretched on for a few more moments. He glanced at her.

“Oh – I don't see why not,” he said thoughtfully, his eyes landing on a particular entry resting prominently among the small stack. “I did just finish reading a rather amusing account on Fwoopers, I thought I might include something in a footnote-”

“Oh really?” she smiled encouragingly, tipping her head.

“Yes, it – quite funny really – do you remember what I told you about them?”

“The Fwooper, that's the big pink fluffy bird right? The one with the Silencing Charm on it?”

“That's her, I call her Frieda. And as I may have neglected to mention, the reason for the Silencing Charm is that - Fwooper song, while very pleasant to the ear, carries with it the _minor_ inconvenience of driving the listener mad in large doses.”

Tina laughed out loud, and the sound made something in him clench, his breath taking a bit longer than usual to find. He paused, tentatively meeting her gaze. She really did have the loveliest brown eyes. So earnest and full of emotion -

Newt cleared his throat.

“I see,” Tina said flippantly, resting her weight against the table.

“Well, there was an _incident_ with a rather – let's be kind, and call him eccentric - countryman of mine some centuries back. I'm not sure you'd've heard of him in your History of Magic classes here, but his name was Uric the Oddball -

Tina smirked, raising her eyebrows. “The wizard from the chocolate frog cards?”

“That's the one,” Newt agreed, chuckling alongside her. “Along with a host of other bizarre habits, he firmly believed that, contrary to _all_ known evidence, rather than inducing insanity, Fwooper song was actually in fact _enormously_ beneficial, and promoted clearer thinking, greater emotional wellbeing, and dramatically improved the memory.”

“Not so?” Tina guessed, biting back a smile.

“Well, I suppose it's possible,” Newt said fairly, sparing her an amused glance. “But his argument did rather lose steam when he chose to present it to the Wizards Council while wearing _nothing_ but his birthday suit, with the notable exception of a toupee made from a dead badger.”

“Mercy Lewis.” Tina was shaking with laughter, covering her mouth with her hands as she tried to keep from falling over. Newt watched her, laughing himself as he felt a wave of warmth flood through him.

“Is that what you were working on when I came in? Editing the Fwooper entry?” Tina tipped her head, eyes skimming the table. Her cheeks were still pink with laughter.

“No, actually, I was-” he paused, biting his lip sheepishly.

“What?” she laughed again, her voice curious.

“It's rather excruciating,” he confessed, smiling at her.

“Interesting words from a man who was just tortured by Gellert Grindelwald.”

She cringed immediately at her bluntness, but Newt chuckled, flashing her a smile. “I'd take another round in the underground in a heartbeat if it got me out of this. I'm supposed to be coming up with a title.”

“A title?” He nodded, catching her eye. Tina looked intrigued, inching forward slightly and starting to bend forward. “Any ideas yet?”

“Not really. Nothing usable, anyway,” he said ruefully, shuffling the papers simply for something to do.

“Well, what've you got so far?” she asked matter-of-factly, leaning closer and peering over his shoulder. He moved his hand over the words instinctively, glancing apologetically as she turned her head to meet his eyes.

“...Sorry. Am I intruding?” For the first time, she looked truly uncertain, almost self-conscious, and he felt his chest swell with empathy. He met her gaze, feeling a shockwave roll through him as her deep brown eyes bored into his. Their faces were inches apart. He hadn't been wrong, up-close, her eyes were almost intoxicating.

“No, not at all. I'm just – a bit embarrassed, really.” His hands were trembling now, as he gave her a shaky smile.

“Don't be. I want to see,” she said eagerly, and he felt a twitch in his jaw, his stomach doing somersaults.

“They're all dreadful,” he grimaced, blinking with disdain at the list before him.

“Well – try me,” she said patiently, brushing a loose lock of hair behind her ear. “And if they're really that bad, maybe I can help.”

“...Alright,” he said slowly, carefully slipping out a piece of scrap parchment from the pile, on which he'd scribbled a few of his more recent thoughts. “Well, I've got a few halfhearted ideas of my own, but as of now, the working title is - ' _The Wizard's Guide To Wildlife – A Bestiary for the Modern Age.'_ ”

There was a moment's silence, where he could feel his heart hammering in his chest. He looked at her, then turned away, his gaze focusing on the table determinedly.

“Hm.”

There was something flatter about her voice now, her forehead crinkled slightly. Something of the light in her eyes had dimmed. Newt blinked, his face burning as he exhaled slowly. “Yes, well. Hence the brainstorming.”

Her hand was on his arm, her voice gentle and almost amused now. “I'm sorry. It's a perfectly good title, it just sounds a little -”

“Stodgy?” He winced, still staring at the table.

“It doesn't sound like you,” she said firmly, her eyes gleaming with affection. He swallowed, looking away, the shadow of a smile back on his face.

“It's not,” he admitted after a moment, smirking slightly. “My publisher suggested it.”

Tina straightened, looking mildly indignant. “Well, that's no good. It's your book, it should be your title-”

“Oh, it will be – I just can't seem to decide on anything I like enough. Nothing seems quite – right.”

She paused, studying him intently as she considered this. “Yeah, I can see how that'd be – fairly nerve-wracking. Wanting to get it just so.”

“Hmm,” he agreed reticently, still avoiding her direct gaze. Tina thought for a moment before opening her mouth.

“Can I offer some advice?”

“Please,” he said politely, looking up at her with interest.

“It'll help if you have some parameters, some guidelines to adhere to – something to, you know - spark your inspiration,” she suggested. “Like a system.”

Newt hesitated. “Can you give an example of what you mean?”

She bit her lip, looking shrewd. Newt watched her, fascinated. “Well, what kind of style do you want it to be?”

“You mean the text?”

“Right. Is it more formal, like a textbook, or is it attuned more for popular consumption?”

“Certainly the _goal_ is to target it to a broad audience, something anyone can understand and enjoy. Informative, but, something people can thumb through as they please.”

“Right, exactly.” She nodded, her expression serious.

“I've tried to make it a sort of gentle introduction,” Newt continued. “Juxtaposed humor where I can, kept it accessible.”

“Then your title should reflect that. It should be warm, welcoming...”

“Yes, I agree.”

She paused, looking pensive. “But you also don't want to make it sound like less than it is - like it's just – some cheesy feature in a monthly magazine or something.”

“Mmm,” he breathed, watching her.

She squinted at the parchment, chewing on a thumbnail. “So I think, the best thing for you to do would be – play to that angle. Something in it should allude to the spectacular – you need something that emphasizes the extraordinary, that illustrates just how passionate you are about these beings and why they should be too...You don't think so?” she added, catching his expression.

Newt flushed, fumbling for a moment. “I do, it's just difficult to capture, especially with only a handful of words. Bit of a tall order, I'm afraid.”

“Well, we'll come up with something,” she said confidently, and Newt's eyes widened a bit as she conjured herself a chair, pulling it up next to him. He flashed her another smile as their eyes met, watching out of the corner of his eyes as she rolled up her sleeves, leaning in with an expression of eager determination.

“So – whatta ya got so far?” she asked expectantly, turning to look at him. Newt raised his eyebrows. “Just go down the list,” she said encouragingly.

“Well -” His eyes landed on the parchment, still shielding it somewhat from her view.

“Come on, let's hear it,” she chided, nudging his arm.

“I'm not that keen on it. As you said, I don't want it to sound too technical-”

“Okay?”

Newt paused.

“Spit it out, Scamander,” she teased.

He made a face. “It's probably a bit wordy as well...”

“Newt!” she laughed.

“Alright.” He blushed. “Um, what do you think of - _Magizoology Matters: From_ _Mooncalves To Murtlaps_ _, A Care of Magical Creatures Guide_.” He paused. “Or even something simpler. _Why Magizoology Matters.”_ He scratched his chin, frowning slightly as he considered the parchment. _“_ Not quite what I wanted to accomplish with the title, but it does have a certain ring to it.”

“Hmm.” Tina looked thoughtful, and he could tell she didn't dislike it. He felt another strange emotion surge through his chest, and it took him a moment to recognize it for what it was this time – pride.

“I like it a lot, I just don't know if it's -”

“ _Right_ ,” he nodded.

“Maybe not for the main project. What about using it for a subheading? Like for a chapter title, or in the forward?”

He considered her, the gears in his mind working anew. “That's - definitely a thought, Miss Goldstein.”

“Tina,” she said absently, her gaze returning to the desk in front of them.

“Right. My mistake.”

“Anything else?”

“Erm-”

Tina laughed, looking back at him. “I know you've got more than one!”

“What about you? I thought you were going to suggest a few ideas of your own?” he said challengingly, raising an eyebrow as he tried to hide a smirk. “If we're just going to go down outlining why all of mine are terrible, I can do that on my own, thanks.”

Tina laughed again, shaking her head. “Alright, give me a minute.” She leaned forward, a lock of hair falling across her dimpled cheek. “How about -” she looked up at him, smiling brightly. “ _Magical Menagerie: Mermaids to Murtlaps_ , _A Manual of Magnificent Creatures_?”

He gazed at her for a moment, his breath catching. Tina turned to look at him, gaging his reaction.

Newt grinned serenely, his eyes sparkling as he considered her. “I actually quite like it,” he said sincerely, still smiling at her. “Only problem is, there's already a magical creature shop with that title in Diagon Alley.”

Her shoulders drooped, sighing slightly. “Drat.”

“ _Excellent_ effort, though,” he added, and part of him cringed as he realized he was staring at her, his eyes wandering from her cheeks to her lips, but he couldn't seem to bring himself to look away.

“Any other ideas?” she asked hopefully, gesturing to his parchment.

He winced, glancing at her again before averting his gaze. “Oh – not really. They all sound terrible,” he said carefully, his ears twinging red. “They're either too dry or too droll.”

“Don't be so self-effacing. Let me hear another one.”

Her matter-of-fact tone sent a shiver down his spine, and he looked up at her cautiously, the corners of his mouth twitching with thinly-veiled amusement.

“Well -” he hesitated, giving himself a moment as Tina looked at him eagerly. “I thought, perhaps - ” he cleared his throat. “ _From Crups to Kappas, A Compendium of Magical Creatures_ , by Newt Scamander.”

She smiled slightly, her gaze intense as she considered him. “It's cute.”

“Cute,” he repeated, sighing as he tapped his hand on the table.

Tina shrugged, smiling apologetically. “It does still seem to be -”

“Missing something,” he nodded, biting his lip.

Tina looked thoughtful. “What about something like -” she sat up straighter, her voice strong and declarative. “ _Ashwinders and Zaratans: An A To Z of_ _ **Amazing**_ _Beasts_.”

Newt laughed, practically beaming at her for a moment. It was gone almost before she'd even registered it. “That's good,” he said admiringly.

Tina smiled at him, her eyes shining, and he found himself reaching for his quill across the table, wanting to remember these ideas, to document this moment.

“Keep going, this is good,” she urged him, and he fumbled, looking back at his list.

“Well – I thought, perhaps something simple, like _-_ _Extraordinary Creatures of Europe and the World_ ,” he said lightly, sighing even as he said it.

Tina tipped her head, mouthing it back to herself. “It's not bad,” she said fairly, smiling back at him. Newt shifted under the desk, grinding his toe into the back of the wall. He gave her a weak smile.

“I think I've gotten rather stuck on myself,” he confessed.

“Well, that's why it's good I'm here, to help – unstick you.” She slipped the quill out of his fingers with a smile, tapping it on the parchment. “Anything else?”

“I've got some beginnings of titles, rough ideas, you know – like ' _Gentle Giants_ ' and...Something Else,” he said sheepishly. Tina grinned at him.

“That's good!”

“You're very kind.”

“A Guide To Gentle Giants,” she suggested.

Newt smiled at the parchment.

“Also – erm, Something for the Main Title, and then - _X Wonders of the World_. 'X' being the total number of creatures ultimately featured.”

“Okay,” Tina said thoughtfully, her voice contemplative. “I think you're on to something with that. The best ones emphasize what you love about them.”

“I suppose that's true,” he acknowledged.

Tina bent forward over the parchment, something in her seeming to almost radiate with purposeful energy. “Okay, I've got an idea. Want to try something with me?”

“Alright,” he said agreeably, smiling slightly.

Tina nodded, biting her lip in concentration. Her eyes were shining. “Okay, first things first. Why don't we start with compiling a list of phrases that describe what the topic is about? Different ways of saying 'magical creatures'-” She pulled the parchment toward her. “And from there, we should come up with adjectives, then we can work on finding phrases that sound catchy with those groups of words. One step at a time.”

“Er – alright.”

She glanced up at him, looking suddenly guilty. “Am I going too fast?” she asked, wincing.

Newt blinked, giving her a small lopsided smile. “No, you're – I appreciate the help.”

She smiled apologetically. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take over.”

Newt chuckled, ducking his head. “No, it's...refreshing. Please, continue.”

“Okay,” she said breathlessly, switching seamlessly back into work mode. “Help me think of synonyms for creatures,” she said, bending back over the parchment.

Newt thought for a second. “Creatures, beasts, animals, cryptids - monsters, I suppose, though I'd rather not-”

“Hmm,” she agreed, cutting him off, her eyes on the list in front of her. “Okay, and now adjectives for the creatures. Words to try to capture their -” she waved her hand ambiguously, her voice low as she continued. “...Spectacular, magnificent, amazing, extraordinary... _incredible-_ ” she scribbled as she spoke. “Do you have any you want to throw in, Newt?”

He was silent for a moment, simply gazing at her.

“-Fantastic,” he said quietly, his eyes still locked on her face.

She nodded, smiling a little, her hand flying across the page for a few more seconds as she muttered under her breath. She grew quiet after awhile, still writing fervently, before taking a deep breath, sitting up in her chair. “Okay, this is too long to use, but just as an example of what I mean –” She pushed another curl behind her ear impatiently, biting her lip in concentration. “Something like... _Bewitching Beasts and Captivating Creatures - The Spellbinding Species That Share Our World._ ”

Newt watched her for a moment, breathless. Tina looked up at him, smiling ruefully. Newt gazed back at her, his eyes saying clearly everything he might have been thinking.

“You're good at these,” he commented finally, blinking a few times as he tried to keep their eye contact. Tina beamed at him, her eyes crinkling.

“Well, I'm no author,” she said modestly.

Newt scoffed, shaking his head. “And yet somehow, I am.”

“Stop that.” Her voice was gentle but firm, and left him feeling like something was lodged in his throat. “We all get stuck sometimes. And you've got a lot of pressure to get this right. It'd make anyone get themselves into a rut.”

He looked at her gratefully, ignoring the bead of sweat forming on the back of his neck.

“Any other ideas, Miss Not-An-Author?” he teased, wincing as he heard himself stammer.

She brushed his arm again, nudging him with a smile. “It's your turn.”

“Bah. Alright.” He smiled, pulling the updated list they'd created toward him as he thought it over. Her presence did help, but he couldn't help still feeling _stuck_ , and he wasn't sure if he'd ever come up with something that satisfied him. “Erm,” he said finally, shooting her an apologetic smile. “What do you think of _Bri_ -?”

A knock interrupted them, breaking through their reverie.

“Teenie?”

They both looked up, a blonde head appearing as the hatch door swung open. “I'm sorry to interrupt, Teen, but you said you wanted to be out of here by eight – it's ten til.”

“Right, I'm coming.” Tina stood immediately, unfolding the blazer she'd placed neatly on her lap, her movements purposeful again, the only sign of her burgeoning insecurity a small puff of air as she glanced at him. He stood, joining her.

Newt could feel the younger witch's eyes on them and blushed, suddenly intensely aware of his and Tina's close proximity, her arm bumping his as she starting unrolling her sleeves. Queenie giggled softly to herself, unheard in the room down below, before flashing him a playful wink, disappearing before he could even react as she closed the suitcase again.

“Well -” Tina said uncertainly.

They studied each other, neither quite sure what to say for a moment.

“I should probably-”

He nodded. “So sorry, I didn't mean to keep you.”

She shook her head, her gaze intent as she smiled at him. “Don't worry about it Newt, it was a whoopee.”

“...Right. Well...” he exhaled slowly, averting his eyes for a moment. “Big day ahead of you?” he asked carefully, and she beamed, pulling her blazer back on and smoothing her blouse.

“I have a meeting with Madame Picquery,” she confessed, and Newt smiled at her barely-contained excitement.

“Best of luck, I think you'll be receiving some very welcome news.”

She looked at him curiously, but simply nodded in response, smiling hopefully as she approached the exit.

“Oh – erm. Tina?”

She turned back, looking expectant.

“Thank you very much for your help. I think this will be quite helpful.”

“My pleasure,” she said warmly, tilting her head slightly as she studied him. Newt was quiet for a moment, his brain a fog.

“Erm. Tina?” he said again, as she started to turn away again. She gazed back at him, her hair framing her face in loose waves. “If you happen to have any more ideas, you know – not that I expect you to -”

“I'll keep thinking,” she promised, smiling sweetly at him. She'd already scrambled up the ladder and out of sight by the time he'd caught his breath.

Newt smiled, taking another sip of the woefully weak tea, now only lukewarm. On second thought, he thought it tasted rather delicious.


End file.
